Cheng Tao looked at him, stunned. "Uncle, besides me, do you know anyone else from Wujing Village?"
Yang Yunian ignored her and instead looked at Zhao Lifang, politely saying, "Thank you, young lady, for pointing the way."
With that, he headed towards Uncle Li's house.
Zhao Lifang scoffed, mocking, "Did you hear that? He's not here for you at all. You called him Uncle right away, but did you even consider if he acknowledges you?"
"He is my uncle, so why can't I call him that? Even if he's not here for me, he's still my uncle!"
Cheng Tao retorted, then turned to follow Yang Yunian.
She also wanted to see who exactly Yang Yunian had come to find.
She followed him all the way to Uncle Li's doorway.
"Uncle, are you here to see Uncle Li for medical treatment?"
Yang Yunian glanced at her indifferently. "No."
He was primarily here for Cheng You.
"Then why are you here? Uncle, if it's not urgent, would you like to come to my place and sit for a while?"
Cheng Tao tried her best to appear well-behaved.
Song Yulian had said that the Yang family would treat her well because she was Yang Er's descendant.
"No need, I'll just stay here."
He looked up at the plaque by the door, which read "Zhen Shan Tang" in neat characters.
Compared to the state-run pharmacy in the commune, this medicine shop was undoubtedly rudimentary.
He stepped inside and politely knocked on the door.
"Excuse me, is Cheng You here?"
Zhen Zhen turned her head to look at him and said softly, "My sister is inside. Uncle, please wait a moment, I'll go call her for you."
Yang Yunian nodded slightly and surveyed the courtyard.
Various tools for making medicine and prepared medicinal herbs were abundant but not disorganized.
Several people were working in the courtyard, each attending to their own tasks in an orderly fashion.
Although this medicine shop was simple, it gave a good impression.
Cheng Tao stood beside him and timidly asked, "Uncle, are you here to see Cheng You? What are you looking for her for? Are you buying medicine? What kind of medicine?"
Her questions were rapid, and her expression was anxious.
Yang Yunian's attitude towards her was different from what Song Yulian had described.
It was too indifferent.
Moreover, how did he know Cheng You?
Yang Yunian had no intention of answering any of her questions.
All his words converged into: "It's none of your business."
Cheng Tao's face fell, and she stood awkwardly, unsure of where to put her hands and feet.
"Uncle, do you not like me?"
Yang Yunian pinched his temples, his patience reaching its limit.
He didn't want to ruin their civility, nor did he want to dredge up old grievances.
It wasn't for Cheng Tao or Song Yulian, but to maintain the last shred of dignity for his deceased brother.
However, these incessant calls of "Uncle" were becoming unbearable.
"Cheng Tao, stop calling me Uncle!"
Immediately after, Cheng You came out of the house.
"Director Yang?"
Although her tone was surprised, her familiarity with him indicated that she already knew Yang Yunian.
Cheng Tao was filled with anger and anxiety, her mind brimming with questions she couldn't voice.
"I saw you at your maternal grandfather's house last time and didn't have a chance to chat properly. I've come specifically to see you."
He had specifically sought out Zhang Fuhai to sit and chat for a while, only to discover that Cheng You's Zhen Shan Tang had some renown in the commune.
Although it couldn't compare to the state-run pharmacy, it was doing much better than other barefoot doctors.
Cheng You led Yang Yunian into the pharmacy and briefly introduced him to the processes of preparing and making the medicinal herbs.
She spoke articulately, sounding quite professional.
After a brief tour, Yang Yunian finally spoke, "Here's the thing, the Health Bureau plans to build a pharmaceutical factory. I wonder if you're interested in a collaboration?"
Cheng You was certainly interested, but she didn't show it.
"How would we collaborate?"
"You provide the prescriptions, and the factory will produce the medicine. We'll split it three-seven."
Cheng You shook her head, quickly rejecting the proposal.
Her prescriptions were no different from ordinary ones; they wouldn't be useful if taken elsewhere.
Yang Yunian thought she was dissatisfied with the amount. "Then… four-six?"
"Director Yang, it's not about the money. My medicine has a characteristic: the final step of preparation must be handled by me."
This was because there were certain things only she possessed.
Yang Yunian frowned, assuming Cheng You was unwilling to hand over her secrets.
He reminded her, "Cheng You, if it's like this, your medicine shop will forever remain a small workshop."
Cheng You shrugged. She had considered this problem, but hadn't found a solution yet.
Yang Yunian didn't press further. "Take some time to think about it."
He was busy and couldn't stay here long.
They chatted for a couple more minutes about cultivating medicinal herbs, and he learned that the seeds were also provided by Cheng You.
Yesterday, he had taken an expert from Yancheng to Qili Village. The elder specialized in traditional Chinese medicinal herbs and had decades of experience.
Due to a tight schedule, they were only supposed to stay in Xing County for one day.
However, after seeing the medicinal herbs in Qili Village, he decided to stay indefinitely, refusing to leave.
He was still in Qili Village now, exclaiming that the herbs they cultivated were many times of higher quality than those developed by the research institute, and he wanted to study them thoroughly.
"May I ask where you bought these seeds from?"
When the pharmaceutical factory was built, he planned to allocate a piece of land specifically for growing medicinal herbs.
Cheng You didn't know how to answer. Even if he bought them, those seeds wouldn't have such a survival rate and quality.
"Director Yang, my husband asked someone to buy the seeds from Yancheng. For the specifics, I would need to ask him."
Yang Yunian nodded. "Then I'll come by again another day."
Watching him get up to leave, Cheng Tao quickly followed.
"Uncle, regarding that plot of land in the commune, did you help me with it?"
She knew her question was impolite, but she couldn't contain herself.
She had no interest in cultivating herbs or seeds.
She only cared about her own land.
Yang Yunian looked straight ahead and said calmly, "I never agreed to help you."
Cheng Tao was stunned. "What?"
"Your mother came to see me, which surprised me, and I didn't immediately know how to refuse. But I thought your mother would have the sense to know I wouldn't help you."
"Why!" Cheng Tao didn't understand and felt a surge of resentment. "I'm your niece. For so many years, you've never cared about me. Finally, I asked for your help just once, and you're not even willing to help me?"
Cheng Tao was on the verge of collapsing. If she hadn't been desperate, she wouldn't have had Song Yulian grovel to them.
Yang Yunian frowned, unsure how to explain.
"Cheng Tao, some things are better discussed with your mother when you go back."
Cheng Tao stood her ground, blocking his path, determined to get an explanation.
"Uncle, for my father's sake, please help me just this once! I promise you, if anything else comes up in the future, I will never bother you again!"
Yang Yunian's face turned ashen. "Don't mention your father to me!"
The mention of Yang Er made him uncontrollably angry.
He wished he could tear Song Yulian's face apart.
For such a woman to enter his Yang family was simply a misfortune for the household!